Machine for decorating watch-cases



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1 E. LBAOH. MACHINE IE'OR DECORATING WATCHGASES.

No. 425,807. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

WITNESSES.- INVENTOR mm; Q 6, 2% BY ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. LEAOH. MAGHINE FOB. DECORATING WATCH GASES.

WITNESSES. I INVENTOH wnlmx 0'7? A TTOHf/EY m: mm PETER! 00., mo'ro-Lmu, wuuma'run a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN LEACl-I, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR DECORATING WATCH-CASES.

I SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 425,807, dated April15, 1890.

Application filed January 6, 1888- Serial No. 259,989. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, EDWIN LEACH, a citizen of the United States, residingat Brooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Decorating Watch-Cases, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This machine is intended to do work in imitation of and to answer thepurpose of handengraving on the backs, caps, and centers of watch-cases,and in such a manner that the design or pattern may be either sunk in orraised on the work without warping it or appreciably changing itsdimensions or reducing its weight. The decorating can, moreover, be doneafter the joints are put on the backs and caps. I thus avoid heating andrepolishing the backs and caps after the decorating Operation, and thedecoration consequently retains the brilliant coloring which has heretofore been peculiar to hand-engraving.

In carrying the invention into effect the article to be decorated orembellished is kept stationarythat is to say, non-rotary and im movableedgewise in the machinewhile a die-roll by which the decorating is doneis revolved in a circle, the die-roll rotating at the 7 same time uponits own axis in contact with the stationary article. This double orcompound or planetary motion is found to be highly effective. Thedie-roll, if accurately proportioned to the work, may be revolved uponthe article in one direction continuously until the decoration is raisedor sunk to the required extent; but perfect proportionin g in everyinstance is practically impossible, owing to slight changes in thedie-rolls when hardened and minute variations in watchcase parts of agiven style and size. I meet this difficulty byrevolving the die-rollupon the article first in one direction and then in the otherreciprocally.

The die-rolls used in decorating the backs and caps of watch-cases aremade with their peripheral faces at less than a right angle with theirsides or ends, the angles varying according to the width of thedecoration, and their faces are simply beveled or beveled and concaved,as may be required, to conform each to the radial contour of the surfaceit is to embellish. The greatest diameter of the die-roll may be equalto the diameter of the outside circle of the decoration,o.r a fractionof the latter, the smaller size being more generally required.

In decorating the centers of watch-cases in any kind of figure, design,or pattern to take the place of hand-engraving the same double orcompound or planetary motion of the dieroll is used, the articleremaining stationary, the die-roll being made with its peripheral faceat right angles to the sides or ends thereof, and either flat or concaveto conform it to the shape of the outer surface of the center.

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts,as hereinafter set forth and claimed, the general combinationconstituting the essential parts of a machine for decorating watch-casebacks and caps constructed on the aforesaid principles.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings may represent a top view of the main workingparts of said machine for decorating watch-case backs and caps inoperation. Fig. 2 may represent a side view of the same. Fig. 3represents a face view of the face-plate seen at the left in Figs. 1 and2; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, representing a slightmodification of the same machine.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The construction and operation of my said machine as it is shown in saiddrawings are as follows: 7

A circular face-plate A is provided with a guide-rib B, extendingdiametrically across its face. Attached by and sliding upon said rib isa radial slide (1, containing a groove which is fitted to the rib.Attached to and forming part of the slide 0 are posts or lugs D D,having slots E in line with the rib. An arm or die-holder F is insertedin said slots E, and is pivoted to the lug D by a transverse bolt G. Theobject of this construction is to allow the die-roll H to-be readilyadjusted to any required angle with its axis in a plane uniformly radialto the axis of revolution, and also to be adjusted bodily toward andaway from said axis of revolution for work of different shapes anddiameters. By employing a circular faceplate having a guide-rib whichextends diametrically across its face the revolving parts are balancedto a considerable extent; but these and other mechanical details shownby way of illustration are not essential to my invention, except ashereinafter stated in m y respective claims. a

The end of the arm or die-holder F which carries the die-roll H iscylindrical, so as to allow the die-rolLto freely rotate thereon, andthe die-roll at its end farthest from said axis of revolution,hereinafter termed its outer end, has a bearing against a shoulder 3,formed on the die-holder. Said outer end of the dieroll is always itslarger end. In operation,

consequently, the only tendency of the roll to escape is radiallyoutward, and by arranging the parts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, sothat the die-roll spindle is formed on the die-holder at that end of thelatter nearest the center of the face-plate the die-roll is held inplace by the work against a solid and easily-formed shoulder, and isreadily applied and removed when the work is not in place. Otherwise thedie-holder F or the slide 0, with all its appurtenances, may be reversedend for end, as shown in Fig. 4.-

The die-roll H (represented in the drawings) has an engraved peripheralface which is both beveled and concaved, as aforesaid, to conform it tothe surface to be decorated. Its larger diameter is an aliquot fractionof the diameter of the outer circle of a given annular surface to bedecorated, and its smaller diameter bears a like proportion to the innercircle of said surface. A surface speed proportioned as closely aspossible to the circumferential travel at each circle and at eachintermediate point is thus provided for.

A form I, which supports the back or cap J to be decorated, is arrangedin front of the face-plate A and axially in line with the shaft K, whichcarries the latter. The form is \Jnounted upon the protruding end of anaxial non-rotary spindle L, which slides in a footstock like thetail-stock of a lathe, and is adjustable lengthwise by a screw at theback of the foot-stock. The function of the adjusting-screw is to bringthe article to be decorated in contact with the die-roll II with therequisite pressure.

In operating the machine the back or cap J is placed upon the form I andheld stationary, as aforesaid, and an appropriate die-roll H is appliedto the die-holder F. The slide 0, carrying the lugs D D, the die-holderF, and the die-roll H, is moved along the guiderib B, so as to locatethe die-roll with reference to the diameters of the surface to bedecorated, and is firmly held in position by tightening its screws M.The die-holder F is then turned on the bolt G, so as to bring theperipheral face of the die-roll 11 into proper contact with the articleJ, and is firmly fastened in this position, as by tightening said bolt Gor by applying an ordinary screwclamp to the slotted post D. After onceadjusting the attachments to the face-plate A, as aforesaid, they neednot be touched ordinarily until any given lot of backs or caps of agiven size and style are completed. The work is finally pressed againstthe die-roll H by a slight turn of the screw which ad usts the spindleL, as aforesaid, and the dle-roll is caused to revolve continuously orreclprocally, as aforesaid, around the center of the I work, as by meansof a pulley'on the shaft K, while it rotates correspondingly on its ownaxis, owing to said revolving motion and its contact with the work.

Any desired design or figures may thus be rolled upon or into thearticle J, theproperlyproportioned die-roll I-I'being first providedwith such design or figures in reverse on a peripheral face of therequired shape.

I do not claim herein the within-described process of decorating awatch-case back, cap, or center by transferring thereto the desireddesign from a die-roll by a rolling operation, the article being keptstationary while the die-roll is revolved around the center of thesurface to be decorated, and is permitted to rotate freely on its ownaxis; nor in such art the process of compensating for slightinaccuracies in the proportioning of the diameters of the die-roll tothose of the Work,which consists in keeping the work stationary andrevolving the die-roll around the center of the surface to be decoratedfirst in one direction and then in the other reciprocally; nor theprocess of so decorating watch-case backs and caps after their jointsare put on, whereby the brilliant coloring heretofore peculiar tohandengraving is preserved, all of which is claimed in anotherspecification forming part of a divisional application filed June '30,1888, Serial I claim as my invention and desire to patent under thepresent specification- 1. In combination, the face-plate A, having theguide-rib B, the slide (J, the posts or lugs D D, having slots E, thearm or die-holder F, bolt G, die-roll H, spindle L, form I, and shaft K,all arranged to operate in the manner above described.

2. The combinatiom'with the face-plate A, having a guide-rib on itsface, of the slide 0, guided radially by said rib and provided withfastening devices, the die-holder F, mounted on said slide, movableangularly in the same radial plane and having a die-roll spindle in saidplane, means for fastening said dieholder at different angles, and arotary die-roll having a peripheral face and mounted on said die-rollspindle, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine for decorating watch-case backs andcaps, of a dieroll having a peripheral face of different diametersconformed to the surface to be decorated, a die-holder movable angularlyin a given radial plane and having a die-roll spindle in said plane,upon which said die-roll rotates, and means for fastening saiddie-holder ameters which rotates freely on said spindle, at differentangles, substantially as hereinhewith its end of largest diameterfarthest from fore set forth. I said axis and against said shoulder,substan- 4. The combination, in a machine for deeotially as hereinbeforeset forthl 5 rating Watch-ease backs and caps having a In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set I 5 given axis of revolution, of adie-holder ramy hand this 3d day of January, 1888. dial to saidaxis andhaving a free-ended die- EDWIN LEACH. roll spindle at its end nearestsaid axis and a shoulder at the end of said spindle farthest IO fromsaid axis, and a die-roll of different di- In presence of- S. STEWARTWHITEHoUsE, FRED XV. ROWE.

